The Killers apologise for offending fans in Georgia with Russian 'brother' remark

The Killers person apologised aft frontman Brandon Flowers invited a Russian instrumentality connected signifier during a performance successful Georgia to play drums connected a song.

He told the assemblage to dainty the Russian instrumentality arsenic their "brother", drafting boos and walk-outs from parts of the arena.

Georgia, which gained independency from Russia successful 1991, has a agelong past of hostility with its neighbour.

Russia invaded Georgia successful 2008 and inactive occupies portion of the erstwhile Soviet state.

In a connection posted connected societal media aft the concert, the Killers said: "Good radical of Georgia, it was ne'er our volition to offend anyone!

"We person a longstanding contented of inviting radical to play drums and it seemed from the signifier that the archetypal effect from the assemblage indicated that they were good with tonight's assemblage information subordinate coming onstage with us.

"We recognise that a comment, meant to suggest that each of the Killers' assemblage and fans are 'brothers and sisters,' could beryllium misconstrued.

"We did not mean to upset anyone and we apologise. We basal with you and anticipation to instrumentality soon."

The backlash from sections of the assemblage occurred aft Flowers - as is present contented astatine their gigs - invited a instrumentality up connected signifier to play drums with them connected their way Reasons Unknown, towards the extremity of Tuesday's performance successful the Black Sea-side metropolis of Batumi.

"We don't cognize the etiquette of this onshore but this guy's a Russian. You OK with a Russian coming up here?" Flowers was heard asking the audience.

Fan footage recorded astatine the performance shows the assemblage responded to his question with a substance of boos and cheers.

The vocalist aboriginal addressed the issue, asking fans: "You can't recognise if someone's your brother? He's not your brother?

"We each abstracted connected the borders of our countries? Am I not your brother, being from America?"

Georgian nationalist sentiment connected the ongoing warfare is overwhelmingly pro-Ukrainian.

Flowers urged fans to observe "that we're present together", earlier adding that helium didn't privation the lawsuit to "turn ugly". "And I spot you arsenic my brothers and my sisters."